Maki Ōdō, Buddhist temple in Bungotakada, Japan.
Maki Ōdō is a Buddhist temple in Bungotakada, a town on the Kunisaki Peninsula in northeastern Kyushu, Japan. The complex consists of a main hall dating from the Edo period and a mid-20th century exhibition building that houses religious artworks and wooden statues.
The temple developed as the main sanctuary of the Tendai sect on the Kunisaki Peninsula, where monks trained in Buddhist practice over several centuries. The complex was expanded across the years, while the original artworks from the Heian period were kept intact.
Nine wooden statues from the Heian period show different Buddhist deities, with Amida Nyorai at the center surrounded by four Deva figures. Daiitoku Myoo is depicted riding a white buffalo, which is a rare iconographic detail in Japan.
The complex has several areas, so it is worth allowing enough time to visit both the main hall and the exhibition space without rushing. Going at a quieter time of day makes it easier to look at the statues closely.
Among the temple's listed works is a Fudo statue accompanied by two servant figures called Nidoji, an arrangement that is very rare in Japan. Finding a set of this kind in such complete condition is unusual even among well-documented temple collections.
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